Sharpton: Churches must stress social justice

Poverty, health, education are moral issues, too, he says.

Poverty, health, education are moral issues, too, he says.

November 01, 2006

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Rev. Al Sharpton criticized the Christian right Tuesday for focusing too much political discussion on abortion and same-sex marriage and said black churches must talk about fighting poverty, equal access to education and other social justice issues. "We have been inundated in the faith community with bedroom sexual morality issues and not dealing with the broader moral issues of poverty, of injustice and of health care," Sharpton said at a news conference amid a two-day meeting of talks and revivals. "We can no longer be misused by some in the Christian right that will not deal with the broader issue of injustice and fairness and inequity in our society," he said. The Rev. Jeffrey Johnson, whose Eastern Star Church hosted the meeting, said the issues in Tuesday's election go beyond personal morality. "Why are half of our Afro-American boys not graduating from high school? Why is there 1.1 million more people in poverty over the past few years while we're talking about the better economy, and 11 percent of African-Americans are unemployed?" Johnson said. Conservative leaders said the problems Sharpton and Johnson cited were symptoms of more fundamental ills.